Chapter 1: Love Isn't Always Fair

"Jake! Where in fucks sake are my drumsticks?!" CC searched the entire house, throwing up clothes angrily; things hadn't been going well between the two.
"How am I supposed to know? I'm not in charge of your stupid drumsticks..." Jake glared in his direction, getting dressed "Maybe if you cleaned up a little once in awhile you would be able to find things..."
"Now everything is my fault!" glares back and sees the drumsticks, snatching them up and grabbing his leather jacket "I'll see you at practice." and he stormed out.

Jake's POV

I sigh deeply and follow him slowly, I keep wishing things would get better, I want things how things used to be. The band is falling apart piece by piece. I'm fighting with CC even though we're supposed to be together and happy. Andy is starting to lose his voice and Jinxx just doesn't seem interested in anything anymore. He just gets drunk and then disappears for days; he comes back and has no explanation for himself. Ashley... Ashley is the only sane person left and he's being pushed to the edge. I think everyone is done. Andy has been through a lot with the band and he needs the rest the most. I just don't know what to do with the huge mass of problems anymore.

• • •

Andy looked worn out, Jinxx was getting drunk already and we hadn't even started practice. It's a new record for how bad we all looked. The fans were counting on us, were supposed to be a family and right now, we don't look like a family.
"Where's CC?" I looked around and saw no signs of him; his drumsticks were next to the drum-set.
"He said he went out to get some fresh air." Andy stood up and nudged Ashley, who had been peacefully asleep. "Why don't you go check on him and I'll start the sound check..." he yawned and stretched, picking up the worn-out microphone.
"Yea, and make sure Jinxx is sober enough to pick up a guitar." I sigh and walk outside, looking around for him "Maybe he went up onto the roof..." I walk up the stairs and see I'm sitting by the edge of the roof, staring out at nothing "CC, we're about to start practice, Andy wants you come down so we can start sound-check"
"I'll be there in a minute, I just need to be alone for awhile." he glanced at me and looked back out quickly, things were different now, and no one seemed to like it.
"A-Alright, don't take too long." I walk back downstairs, having nothing more to say to him. Why has everything gone wrong? When did all of this shit happen? I want everything back to normal. Change is a horrible thing. I don't want anything to change.
I got back downstairs and everyone was already in their places. I grabbed my guitar and we waited for CC, I was a little worried about him, what was he planning to do up there? Jump maybe? No, I don't think he's suicidal. I plugged the guitar into the amp and did a couple rounds to make sure it's in-tune. Ashley and the almost-sober Jinxx did the same. CC came down the stairs slowly and took his place at the drums, picking up his beloved drumsticks. Andy started to warm up his voice, it was getting weak from all the screaming. He's been practicing less and less since the last album.
"Alright CC, start us off... We'll do Knives and Pens and take it away from there..." Andy cleared his throat and smiled that half smirk he would put on for the cameras; he always seems to be in a dreamland. I guess that's probably the only reason why the band is still together. I listened as CC started in with the drums and the rest of us fell into our places perfectly. Everything is perfect as soon as we started to practice. We could smile and have fun, forget about all our problems and just let it all go. I want to stay like this forever.
"Jake! Jake! Earth to Jake!" I opened my eyes and looked at CC who was standing in front of me. "Is the song over?"
"Yea, you totally zoned out, what the hell happens in that head of yours?" he walks back to his drums and waits for Andy's' cue.
"Lets start the next song and we'll take a lunch break... I didn't get any sleep last night." Andy yawned for about the 20th time and started Perfect Weapon, hurting himself even more.
Of course, I melted into the song again and remembered how fun practice used to be, everyone would laugh and make jokes, now no one speaks, we just play, eat, and leave. There's no fun in anything anymore. The past had always been the most fun.

"Come on Andy, have a little fun! Let's play spin the bottle" Jinxx joked and sat down on the couch, setting the empty beer bottle on the table, everyone else was already siting around the table.
"Alright, alright I'll play. Nothing perverted okay? Did you hear me Ashley?" he laughed ad sat next to me.
"No promises." Ashley chuckled and took a big swig of his beer, finishing it off.
"Want to go first CC? We're all pretty drunk so no one will remember anything." he grinned, it was the stupid 'kissing' spin the bottle game Jinxx always liked to play when everyone was drunk because he would film it, I never know what he does with it though.
I was never drunk during any of this so most of the time I stayed out of it and messed around with my guitar, but I was a little tipsy so I joined in. I watched as CC spun the bottle. It went around and around and around. It makes me dizzy thinking about what will happen if it lands on me. i don't think CC was watching. I don't think any of us are gay but the fans would love it. They already "ship" us. I was dreading the moment the bottle would stop; I knew it would land on me with my luck. I would have to make-out with CC or they would do something weird to me... I don't really like this game. It landed on me, why did it have to land on me? CC and I stared at each other for a long time before he stood up.
"Lets get this over with, but in the other room so Jinxx can't video tape us." he glared at Jinxx and I stood up, my stomach felt weird, I was dizzy. I wasn't ready for this. How do I get out of this?
"R-Right..." I followed him out; Ashley was holding back his drunken laugh and Andy looked a bit worried.
CC looked like he was regretting going first, I felt bad for both of us. "W-What if we just stay in her for a minute to make it seemed like we actually... Um, kissed." I tried not to make eye contact with him.
"But that's cheating. I'm sure Jinxx had a camera in every room anyways, we have to." he didn't look at me either, sitting on the lounge chair, gripping his ripped jeans.
I hesitated to sit next to him. "I just wanted to get it over with... alright? Lets just get this over with."
He nodded in agreement and scooted over so I could sits next to him "I don't like this anymore than you do, okay? I just wanted to say that."
"Tell me about it." I hesitated and leaned over; he shut his eyes tight and... It was sloppy but I didn't care. It didn't feel gross. I don't know what it felt like but CC pulled away immediately; his face was a bright red color. I tried to laugh it off but my face was probably the same color.
"T-That was interesting. S-Sorry..." I stood up and walked upstairs, leaving him speechless. I didn't know he was gay or not, he never told anyone personal stuff.
"J-Jake wait!" he called after me but I didn't stop, I couldn't tell him that I liked it; it would be way to embarrassing so I kept walking.

"Jake! Stop spacing out, we're all going to lunch, do you want to come with?" CC blinked a couple times, wondering what was going through his head.
"N-No, I'm not very hungry... I think I'm just gonna go home soon, I don't feel that well anyways." I smile faintly and walk past him and out of the lounge to the roof; I could feel his eyes following me. I wanted to be alone so I could think.

• • •

CC's POV

I watched Jake leave up to the roof. I wondered why he had kept spacing out during practice, that's the first time he's ever done something like that. I guess I was a little worried but I didn't follow him. He wasn't acting normal. I walked out with Andy, Jinxx, and Ashley towards the pizza place that we would always hangout at when we would finish recording a new song or just cure our boredom. We ordered and waited; making small conversation about the new songs Andy had come up with. I wasn't paying attention because I was too worried about Jake.
"Hey CC, what do you think about the new song ideas?" Andy asked me, even though I was spaced out.
"Yea, I like them a lot. They all seem reasonable to play on the drums. It'll be fun." I looked at him and the rest of them, "Is there something wrong? You all look like you've seen a ghost."
"CC, there's a bit of a problem," Ashley points at the TV in the back of the pizza place "Where did Jake go?"
I turned to look at the TV; the lounge was on fire... Jake was on top of the roof, alone and no one knows he's up there but me. "Jake is up there. Who the fuck started to fire?!" I jumped up out of the chair and ran back towards the lounge. I could here Andy following me but I didn't care. I just wanted to know if Jake was okay.
"Please be okay Jake. Please..." I pleaded and kept running.